On Nov. 14, the Wake Forest women’s soccer team took to Spry Field to face off against Harvard in the first round of the NCAA College Cup Tournament. The Demon Deacons, with a 3-0 victory, secured their 12th shutout of the season.

The Deacs haven’t made the NCAA College Cup Tournament since 2017. In one of their most historic seasons since, the team has competed and fought their way to a winning record, re-entering themselves into the 2021 NCAA College Cup Tournament.

On the cold Sunday afternoon, the women’s soccer team took to the field, starting their regular lineup, and preparing to take on Harvard. In their 21st NCAA tournament appearance in program history, and in their first appearance in four years, the Deacs had plenty of time to prepare for this game.

At 1 p.m., the first whistle blew, and the team immediately went on the attack. Through the first 10 minutes of the game, the Demon Deacons kept things calm, attempting to quickly move into Harvard’s half of the field.

Near the 12-minute mark, Shayla Smart and Sophie Faircloth moved the ball downfield to Sofia Rossi. Rossi took a long shot and found the back of the net to give Wake Forest a 1-0 lead with her ninth goal of the season.

The Deacs stayed ahead 1-0 throughout the first half, taking four more shots but failing to convert on any of them.

After the halftime break, the team returned to the field, ready to continue pressing Harvard and moving the ball quickly.

Just over 10 minutes into the second half, graduate student Jenna Menta sent a long pass down the field to redshirt senior Hulda Arnarsdottir. The graduate student connection ended with Arnarsdottir putting in her fifth goal of the season and making the score 2-0 in the 57th minute.

After returning to play following the second goal, the Deacs almost immediately regained possession of the ball, taking it down to Harvard’s end of the field once again.

Just three minutes after their most recent goal,  freshman Emily Morris sent in a corner kick. Senior Shayla Smart took it with her head, finding the bottom corner of the goal.

The team spent the last 30 minutes of the game continuing to put pressure on Harvard. The pressure worked, as the Deacs maintained their 12th shutout of the season and secured the 3-0 win.

The victory moves Wake Forest to 16-5 record on the year and allows them to continue their journey in the NCAA College Cup Tournament. On Friday, the Demon Deacons will face off against No. 2 Michigan in Ann Arbor.